Remember the 80's? Neither do I. All I really know is that today we've got the internet and smartphones and the Large Hadron Collider. Back then they had jehri curls and some aggressive music. And that's about it. Well Air Raid, a Swedish "classic metal" group, knows this and has pieced together a nice little homage to some of the good stuff the 80's gave us—heavy metal, that is. And, like the heavy metal classics, this demo they just put out is pretty fun. Perfect length too. At roughly nine minutes, for how derivative it is, it doesn't seem all that stale. So I say, track this down, get your cans of Soul Glo out, spray that shit on, and prepare to splash aerosol goo on the people around you. This won't engage you with any originality—not even a semblance of it--but it'll make you want to bang your head.

To be honest, I have never expected much when doing some Clandestine Cut reviews. Perhaps it's my low expectations that augmented my appreciation of Equaleft's EP, or what we have here is some really good shizzle. I'm not only talking about the musicians know how to play their instruments or write good songs, but they actually sound really fresh without being pretentious. The music is definitely Groove Metal, but this EP's so much more than this restricting tag implies. Right off the first song, one would notice the use of the cello, hinting at the experimental nature of sonic goodness to come. There are quite a few other odd choice of instruments thrown in, and I can tell you they aren't there just for gimmicky purposes. Add in some sporadic vocoder usage and awesome passages that ranges from Post Metal to Jazz-esque bass licks, while maintaining the galloping groove. Then… Then I think you should just go and check these guys out because I am so looking forward to their full length!

I'm not entirely sure if Project Pain's vocalist is a comedian, but he's definitely amusing on this. Most of the riffs and grooves here are tasty, but strictly heard-it-all-before stuff. Then the vocals dawdle in and the listener is bound to start laughing. The riffing continues its attack with some excellent deadpan delivery, then it'll dawn on you that you're listening to a funny album that isn't obnoxiously begging for laughs (until the fart noises at the very end, at least). One that has, more or less, respectable riffs too. And that's always satisfying. This is an album guaranteed to simultaneously make you bang your head and l o l. Plus, at twelve minutes, it never really sours. So find this and download it pronto.

The acoustic guitar on "Defibrylacja" won't prepare you with what this Polish band will present you: An assault of crushing riffs with some of the most impressive growls I've heard lately. A special mention to the vocals has to be given considering their strength. Growls that reminds me sometimes of Åkerfeldt's most brutal moments. Very expressive screams that could tear someone's throat apart and finally some clean vocals that go well with the calm sections. The music: It sounds extremely professional. It's hard to believe that this is a debut EP when there is so much talent in their performance and every instrument has the spotlight (specially the excellent drumming). It screams "good future ahead!" These guys clearly know what they are doing with their brand of progressive post-metal with an extra hard edge. It almost seems like they try to push themselves every time. Extra atmospheric when they want to take it slow and cool and extra harsh when they want to play it heavy. Promising!

So I listened to this song about four times before typing up my little review here, and that was five times too many, lemme tell you. I hate to shit on a young band's music only after listening to one song, but this is what I was given to listen to. On their band page they describe themselves as: Heavy Metal Riffs + Psychadelic Vocals + Head-bobbing Rhythms + Big Fat, Juicy Bassline = Setting Circles. A more accurate description: Boring Metal Riffs + God awful emotionless Vocals + uh... Rhythms(?) + We got a Bassist too = Lame prog band who clearly digs System of A Down and Tool a bunch.

What really does this song in is the vocals. Not the best singer in the world, pal? That's cool; most singers in "psychedelic" bands aren't that good, but they typically make up for it with raw emotive prowess or some sort of unique charm and personality in their singing. The only thing the vocals in this song showcase are the emotions of a lazy, apathetic rock. Setting Circles? More like Setting My Alarm Clock to Wake Me Up After This Bore Is Done With.

Progressive metal/rock meets sludge feel in an almost perfect wedding. Unlikely? Not if you are talking about Milk White Throat. This self-titled EP makes a strong statement and, at the same time, it takes you back to what is elementary in prog, often in a Pink Floydish style. Deliberately suffocating, the instrumental bursts come aplenty. The right amount of atmosphere and the different nuances of the songs let all the instruments shine, including the vocals which are very good, while the heavy and incessant riffs fluctuate between different directions. Bleak and abrasive, the turbulence of the music of Milk White Throat promises to grab you by the neck with its precocious degree of sophistication. If all goes well, your mind may wander between the acoustic and clean parts, whereas your body will detonate when the intensity rises. Considering the usual means bands have at their disposal when they record these low-budget releases, this is promising, to say the least.

Andreas Nergard set out to compose the metal musical Memorial For A Wish in May 2010, and The Beginning is a teaser EP of the first three songs available. As you can guess from the term "metal musical," this is melodic proggy/powery metal with symphonic elements. It's quite professional and if indeed his goal was to "tease" the audience, it certainly worked on me. I like that he calls it a "musical" instead of a metal "opera," the latter of which brings to mind light soprano vocals and overly flowery symphonic metal trends that have been dying since the early 2000s. The Beginning features nothing of the sort, instead we're treated to heavy, energetic riffing, thoughtfully composed music, and vocals by a cast of stars including Ralf Scheepers. Even with just three tracks, you can guess at the wide spectrum of moods and textures that may be available on the final album. Keep your ear out for Nergard as this does seem to be only The Beginning.

Decisions decisions....
Equaleft, Butterfly Trajectory and Milk White Throat all sound really cool and a league above most pro bands

This was sure as hell a good issue imo. It will take me a while to vote on this one. I feel that I should have done my CC review for the other band I had (they play Metalcore) because I really liked Butterfly Tragectory and Milk White Throat and to see them against each other makes me sad
Only one can win now

----

Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29Like you could kiss my ass

Really MWT before Butterfly Trajectory thats just a fucking shame. Not to mention that there were only 13 votes for this edition of CC.
Total shit, it seems like a real shame that the staff takes the time to compile these articles, and only a few distinguished folks appreciate their effort by taking the time to listen to all the bands and submit feedback.
MS staff FTW, keep up the great work.

Equaleft was awesome but *DAMN* I can really see why Milk White Throat and Butterfly Trajectory are leading. These are two highly professional, polished bands, ready for the big time. I hope very soon to see them both signed and making more music.

I don't understand the no-love for Nergard! Maybe power metal fans didn't read this issue or maybe I'm just alone in liking it but they seemed quite worthy, too

----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs

Took me a while to make a choice on this one. Butterfly Trajectory won me over, though Milk White Throat were also pretty close. Other than those two, I couldn't find anything impressive in this issue.

----
"And we are not who we think we are
We are who we're afraid to be"
- Lux Occulta "The Opening of Eleventh Sephirah"